- Windows: For first time users, the installer will require GTK to be installed.
- Windows: Recommended: Install automatic spell-check (Aspell) for your language, which needs to be selected during install. (Requires a connection to the internet).

- Windows: The plugin will come bundled as a zip file with a MSI installer. Run the MSI installer. This will install the plugin to "Program Files\Pidgin"
- Linux: If a precompiled version (usually ".DEB" or ".RPM" is not available for your distribution of Linux, download the source in "tar.gz" format. Follow standard compilation instructions for your platform. (Experienced users: 15 minutes, Inexperienced users: 2 hours)
- PidginPortable: After installing the MSI, copy the contents of "Program Files\Pidgin\" to the "Program Files\PidginPortable\app\Pidgin" folder. The folder names "plugins", "pixmaps" should match. Click "yes" when prompted to overwrite.

WINDOWS USERS:
The new version of Pidgin for Windows is incompatible with SIPE unless you copy two files to your Program Files\Pidgin\ directory.
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD ICONV.DLL
CLICK DOWNLOAD LIBXML2.DLL
Save both of these files in Program Files\Pidgin, (PortablePidgin would use the "Program Files\PidginPortable\app\Pidgin" folder instead)

If open, close Pidgin from the system tray and reopen.

From the top menu bar, click "Accounts", "Manage Accounts"

Click the "Add" button

Click the "Protocol" drop-down and select "Office Communicator"*Note: If the icon for Office Communicator is missing, read Step 3 above.

Username: (Email Address)
Example: tres.finocchiaro@mycompany.org

*Note: Don't use exchange at your organization? Contact your system administrator for what this value SHOULD be.

Getting the settings correct so I wouldn't get the message "Unable to Connect" [link]

In this example, the version of Pidgin I'm using is Pidgin 2.5.8 (portable) and the plugin is Pidgin SIPE 1.5.0 (1.6.0 binaries are now listed under this mirror. Use them, they're better!), compiled for Windows XP 32-bit. (Called pidgin-sipe-1.5.0-win32-bin.zip. Linux users should be able to find RPM and DEB installers if you search around).

Non-windows users, here are the site instructions for Ubuntu from sipe.sourceforge.net: [link]:

**Note: This works fine for x86_64 systems as well with one minor tweak. By default, the installer puts the sipe files in /usr/lib/pidgin, but they should be in /usr/lib64/pidgin, so it's just a matter of copying them (or linking them) to the right location -Frank

If you continue with the Windows install, follow the install instructions included in your SIPE readme by copying the folders to their appropriate locations (this varies by system, but should be near the pidgin install or plug-ins directory). I used the zipped version because Portable Pidgin is in a non-standard location. The msi installer will likely work just fine for "vanilla" Pidgin installs. If you can't figure it out, feel free to email me fatbuttlarry$gmail$com.

You'll know the plugin installed correctly if you have a new Protocol listed under your Pidgin Account Types. To check, open Pidgin and click Accounts --> Manage Accounts --> Add. Try adapting the settings below to work in your environment (thanks to this slightly out-dated Ubuntu thread):

I have to admit, we were quite stumped with the "Use proxy" and "Proxy Server" fields. Initially we thought they were part of an internet proxy address. They were definitely needed to get the plug-in working correctly, so ignore the names used and put your Microsoft Communicator Pool address there instead. Note: Proxy has been renamed to "server" in version 1.6.0.

If the plug-in seems to cause Pidgin to continually crash, make sure to fill in both "Username" and "Login" in the correct format. My Pidgin kept crashing until I had them both filled in, and when it crashes, it WON'T save your settings.

I've provided some screenshots of my setup:*Note: Usernames, server names, etc have been made "anonymous" for security reasons.

*Note: Usernames, server names, etc have been made "anonymous" for security reasons.

Hope this helps some frustrated users. I now have Microsoft Communicator working in Pidgin.

Buggy:

These items have been buggy for me with version 1.5.0 of SIPE:

On first run, my default buddy group did not show, so each buddy authorization request also asked what group to put it in. Restarting Pidign fixed this. Still exists in version 1.6.0

Buddy authorizations come through multiple times if not answered. I'd get the same invite from "John Smith" 5 times in a row. I just kept clicking accept. Still exists in version 1.6.0

Buddy names showed with the phrase "_DisplayName" after them. For example: John Smith would be "John Smith_DisplayName" Getting mixed results in version 1.6.0. Most names now come through with Quotes surrounding them, such as '"John Smith"'

This works fine for x86_64 systems as well with one minor tweak. By default, the installer puts the sipe files in /usr/lib/pidgin, but they should be in /usr/lib64/pidgin, so it's just a matter of copying them (or linking them) to the right location

It helped, but still i am facing the problem...I am trying to connect on Ubuntu9.04 using 1.6.3.....Connection failed.....Also i can see the difference between the Screenshots give in the how to and the options in my Pidgin...Help Please...

thanks for the post.. it brightens my cloudy day..my winXP laptop is in service, i was out of contact with the rest of group, some freakin CEO-wannabes @work made me looked bad, boss wanted too many things done.. but finally, your post gave me something to cheer on!! i might consider using linux for the rest of the year.. haha..i appreciate all the guidance!!

I compiled pidgin-sipe 1.6.3, 1.8.1 and 1.9.1 from source, the config dialog for none of them bear any resemblance to what you posted in your blog; suffice to say that I can't make it work, which is a shame. :/

I've snooped on the network traffic between my windows VM and the potential servers on 5060/5061, and tried pretty much any permutation of information I could find for the dialogues I see - to no avail.

Nice to see that you have done this. I was looking for exactly same - using pidgin to connect to LCS.I have Pidgin 2.6.6 and downloaded this plugin which i think 1.8there i see options different from which you have explained here.Could you please help me?

@FatButtLarry, Thanks for reply.I think I am not able to get settings correct here. Could you please tell me following?1)Can I connect from home laptop which in not in office domain where LCS server is?2)How can I know exact server name?I tried by going in MS office communicator client in office and checking account settings, server name is listed there,should i use same?3)Username, which I should use? myid@domain.com?4)How to know server port?5)how to enable logging so that i can know where its going wrong, i get connection failed message.

> "Can I connect from home laptop which in not in office domain where LCS server is?"

@Suyog: Depends on your domain setup. If you can ping the host, you should be ok. Generally, you will not be able to connect to it from home unless your organization has set it up for the outside world. Can others use Microsoft Communicator from home? If so, checking their connections will be ideal.

No, I am not able to ping to LCS server from home machine, even cant connect with Communicator in Windows with same settings as I have in office. So that means I wont be able to use it in Home, right?May be I will give a try in office

I installed Pidgin 2.7.5, then the SIPE plugin 1.10.0 on Windows XP Pro SP3. However, I do not see the OCS protocol listed when I try to add a new account. I see the libsipe.dll file in "C:\Program Files\Pidgin\plugins", but Pidgin doesn't seem to be picking it up. Any thoughts?

Could you please check the links for the LIBXML2.DLL and the ICONV.DLLIt might just be me, but none of my web browsers can download those files, they all appear to be point to a webpage rather than a fileThanks

@L: Don't know about that feature, as we're on an older version. I'd suggest brining it to the attention of the SIPE author, however it would likely require a feature added to Pidgin as well that doesn't exist today.

I was having frequent (within minutes of launch) crashes with Pidgin 2.7.11 and SIPE 1.10 on Windows 7 with dlls in the correct place, etc.

I changed the login from email address to domain\user and closed pidgin to make sure the settings were saved. Actually, I deleted and recreated the account because the login field could not be changed.

It's been half a day and no crashes yet. It had been working for quite a while with the old settings but started crashing in the last few weeks with increasing frequency.